Telamon
Telamon, known officially as the Republic of Telamon (Skjöldunga: Lýðveldið Tælmörk), is a nation located in eastern Makon. It is the tenth most populous nation on Terra with a population of 99,755,192, and an area of 1,200,000 km², resulting in a population density of 83.13 people km². Continental Telamon includes the southernmost point on Makon, and is situated roughly between the 42nd and 53rd northern parallels. It shares a land border to the northwest with Hutori, and is abutted on the west by the Aoi Lagoon, to the south by the Mad Dog Ocean, and to the northeast by the Green Sea. The state of Suðureyja is an island located hundreds of kilometres to the south and it is part of the Mad Dog Ocean. Telamon's capital is Ragnarsfjarður in the state of Austurland. Telamon is mainly part of the Skjöld ethnic group, although there is a large ethnic-Doyingar minority. The economy is Terra's thirtieth largest by GDP, and Makon's third largest by GDP. It is based primarily around a large fishing industry, coupled with medium sized civilian ship building industries and expansive timber harvesting, particularly in the northern regions of Antepec and Ferene. 'Etymology' WIP: Telamark = Tælmörk; Tæl comes from Tæla meaning "seduce or entice"; mörk means mark or marches, denoting a boundary or borderland. Literally, "Enticing borderland". 'History' Main article: History of Telamon The native peoples of Telamon were now-extinct Makonic-speaking and are commonly known as the Myllydeninen. Around the end of the first millennium, Dundorfic settlers from northern Artania arrived in the region and established various small states. Over time, these developed into petty kingdoms in which the Dundorfic nobility ruled over ever decreasing numbers of ethnic-Myllyd peasants. Following the failure of the Peasant Revolt of 1320, Erik the Great proclaimed the Kingdom of Grenmark with himself as hereditary monarch. He instituted reforms which sought the forced-migration of the majority of ethnic-Myllyd peasants to the fringes of the and conquering most of southwestern-Makon. The descendants of Erik the Great ruled Telamon for around two centuries before civil war broke out in 1485 over the regency of Queen Margareta. The Telan Civil War was a period of unparalleled brutality and violence in the history of the country and, combined with a massive outbreak of Coughing Sickness and poor crop harvest, caused a dramatic decline in the population with the ethnic-Myllyd bearing the brunt of the decline. Eventually, the war was brought to an end with the formation of a new ruling dynasty, the House of Stavf-Lokstierna. In the aftermath of the War, sweeping reforms were instituted to ensure the future stability of the country and promote economic and social progress. Telamon continued to be governed as a monarchy until 1757 when the a republic was founded. It was in response to the Rebellion of the Gardens when massive crowds descended upon the royal residence calling for the monarchy to be abolished. Endrin III, who was king at the time, promised that reform would be forthcoming and eventually he agreed to step down. Since then, there have been brief periods of monarchical restoration, under the Stavf-Lokstiernas and other noble families however Telamon has remained primarily a liberal democracy, though not a particularly stable one. When Kafe Commune and the Libertarian Socialist Party won a majority, they established an anarchy. But Kafe Commune was dissolved, so the Libertarian Socialists had to survive in the Parliament alone. And then, the Libertarian Socialist Party was dissolved when the anarchy was coming to an end and they started a revolution, to return to the liberal democracy times. Main: Telamonese anarchy On the year 3450, Telamon fell into a one-party system. The last party left was a federal collectivist party, the Federal Collectivist Union Party, and it established officially federal collectivism on May 4356. On August 4368 the last party left was dissolved and an anarchy was formed. A red thallerist party came to the Parliament and established the Manrick Union, which would last around thirty years. After the Manrick Union, Telamon would be a liberal republic once again. In 4357, the Silicon Party came to power unopposed. They soon went about reorganising Telamon into a more federal republic, with the government coming under the purview of the powers of the President of the Republic, and the office of Prime Minister being abolished in favour of a Vice-President. Since then, the Silicon Party has retained a majority within Congress, and has been relatively unopposed, save for a brief period between 4359 and 4340, when the now-defunct Labour Union challenged the Silicon Party's leadership. 'Geography' Main article: Geography of Telamon Continental Telamon slopes gradually from northwest to south east, with the towering glacial Lironan Mountain Range along the western Hutori border giving way to foothills in central Telamon and eventually to coastal plains rimming the nation. Two major rivers descend from the Lironan Mountain Range: the Tyr, beginning in Ferene and flowing through Antepec, and the Amon, flowing primarily through Lirona. These two rivers converge in Sevescia to form the Yutori Delta, which floods each spring and is vital to Sevescian farming endeavors. The island of New Majatra was formed in antiquity by a pair of now-extinct volcanoes. Erosion has smoothed the island so that it slopes gently from the twin central craters to the sea on all sides. Telamon is part of the Mad Dog Ocean, and shares territories on the Unholy Sea, Green Sea and the Jelbic Sea. 'Climate' Telamon is divided primarily into two major climate zones: Warm Summer Continental (Dfb) and Continental Subarctic (Dfc). Due to the moderating influence of oceanic currents and winds, the coasts and particularly the Federations of Lirona, Sevescia, and Migadon experience mild summers and long, cold winters. This climate type sees relatively steady precipitation (with slightly more in the summer months). As a result of their warmer, wetter climate, Lirona, Migadon, and especially Sevescia (which also benefits from the vast Yutori Delta) undertake much of the agricultural business of the States. The northern Federations of Antepec and Ferene, as well as some of the northern continental interior and most of the Lironan Mountain Range along the western border with Hutori are dominated by a continental subarctic climate. Cool arctic winds from the north give birth to short, cool summers and long, cold winters. Though relatively unfriendly to agriculture, some success has been made in farming in the northern regions, especially along the banks of the Tyr. Mountainous Ferene is rich in mineral deposits, and Antepec is home to vast, hardy timber reserves. 'Government and politics' Telamon is officially a liberal republic, though since the rise of the 'Silicon Party', the government has become far more of a shadowy government, ruled in secret by largely unknown individuals. The head of state is the Forseti, or President, occupied by a person known only as 'Hudson', and their assistant, the Vice-President, is the Forseti, occupied by a similarly unknown person named 'Franklin'. In the year 4419, the Parliament voted to leave the World Congress in a bill that had unanimous support. 'Government' Main article: Government of Telamon | Heads of State of Telamon The Head of State in Telamon is the Forsætisráðherra (First Minister) which also chairs the government. The ''Ríkisþingið'' (State Assembly) is the 250-seat unicameral supreme national legislature body. Political parties 'Administrative divisions' The Federation of Telamon is split into five regions, known as Ríki or states. 'Demographics' Telamonese society is complex and diverse. Unlike many countries, there is no nation specifically associated with Telamon other than the ancient Tribe of Tela which the state derives its name from. In modern times, the dominant ethnic group in the country are the Skjöld people, who migrated to mainland sometime in the first millennium CE from Artania. The Skjöld are related to the people of Kazulia and more distantly to other Dundorfic peoples. Within the country, there are minority populations such as the Laamit people. Education Main article: Education in Telamon Culture Culture of Telamon Telamon is the main home for the Skjöld people and a second option for Doyingar people (East Dundorfic). The main language is the Skjöldunga, but there has been other languages and dialects which are not spoken anymore. Music Music is a fundamental part of Telamon. Another genre is the Danstón, a very popular national genre used in parties. It is composed of an acoustic guitar, soft drums and a flute, used to dance. Every year at school there are lessons to learn and not forget how to dance Danstón. Sport Telamon's national sport are shooting sports, curling, football, ice hockey 'Religion' Today most Telamonian belong to the Independent Confessing Church of Telamon, the state church of the country. 'Economy' Economy of Telamon Telamon has a mixed (increasing free market) economy built along corporatist ideals - moderately regulated and largely in private hands.. Telamon is an industrialized nation with focus on the shipbuilding industry, agriculture, energy and mining, more notably copper and gold in the north. The nation's main exports are copper, gold, timber, chemicals, and fruit, grown from the farming fields in the south. Telamon today currently imports minerals, metals, and consumer goods. The Central Bank of Telamon is state-owned as is the Telamon Stock Exchange (TSE). There is a 25% tax on luxary goods; essential goods are taxed at 15%. There is no corporation or income tax in Telamon. 'Agriculture and fishing' Agriculture, historically, has been an important part of the Telamonese economy. The early civilizations on Telamon were quite good at farming, sustaining their populations for years to come. Agricultural products today include sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, and tea. Other products of farming include water pigs, cattle, and poultry. Agricultural products are important to the exports of Telamon, providing income to many of the farmers living in the country that depend on it. Many of the farms in Telamon now are private-owned and operated and about 1% of GDP is dedicated to providing subsidies for farmers - this program is administered by the kingdoms. Due to the vast amount of water surrounding Telamon, as well the extensive network of rivers and lakes within the nation, fishing is also an important part of the economy. Large fishing companies have historically prospered along the Telamonese coasts, especially in the south where moderate temperatures are frequent. The island of Migadon sees lots of whaling, lobster, and swordfish hunting bringing a lot of income to the Telamonese economy. Seafood exports in the last few centuries have been credited to the rapid growth of the fishing industry in Migadon. In the last few decades however the fishing industry has experienced moderate growth overall. 'Industry' Industry in Telamon is largely in the private sector with Government owning very few companies. In recent years Telamon's electronics and textile industries have been facing competition from neighboring Hutori and Endralon. Today the most important sector of industry is manufacturing and service. There has also been strides in the automotive industry. 'Energy' In Telamon energy is provided by private companies. The nation's power grid as well is part-nationalized and partly private owned. Telamon today is one of the largest consumers of energy on Makon and they rely on renewable energy sources such as nuclear, wind, and hydo power to the meet the demands of the public. However coal, oil, and gas still play a major part in Telamon energy. International Relationships Telamon established an embassy with Dorvik and Lourenne and an economic and military cooperation with Narikaton and Darnussia. Telamon has got also good relations with New Endralon. At this moment, Telamon is developing a treaty of neutrality with Tukarali. 'Military' The DAST The Defensive Army Soldiers of Telamon (DAST) or Verjandi Herinn Hermenn af Telamon ''in Skjöldunga, is the guild that protected the Telamonese citizens from invasions and attacks, based on militias. Everyone was free to join regardless of their political ideology, sexual orientation, sex and others. This was a defensive army guild during the federal collectivist ages. '''Krigsmakten' The Armed Forces of Telamon sometimes called the Krigsmakten is run by the Telamonese Ministry of Defense and is split up into three central branches; the Army, Air Force, and Navy. Telamon does not have conscription, but in times of war the government can call upon all males and females to serve. The Armed Forces is commanded by the Telamon Armed Forces Command which serves as the de facto operational leadership of the military while the Telamonese Ministry of Defense operates and implements policy passed through the national legislature. This wasn't applied during the federal collectivist ages. Red Forces of Telamon Main article: Red Forces The Red Forces of Telamon are independent soldiers and police officers from Telamon that has been serving for the nation (independently of the Government) since 3263. Category:Telamon Category:Makon Category:Countries